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The 2018 Spring Festival travel rush has begun.

What should you eat on the train?

Beer, soft drinks, mineral water?

Peanuts, melon seeds, eight-treasure porridge?

Wrong!

Passengers' top choice is: instant noodles!

"Instant noodles taste best on the train. Whenever the guy next to me pulls out his Dezhou braised chicken and beer, I know it's time for my instant noodles hidden under the seat." — Netizen

△ Mentioning the Spring Festival travel rush, a smell of instant noodles rises in the heart, evoking certain memories.

Instant Noodles

Instant noodles are the most common quick-cooking noodles in China. The chewy noodle block, topped with a special sauce packet, combined with the perfect match of seasoning and flavor packets, soaked in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes, with a few beef granules as garnish, the springy and smooth noodles and fragrant oil blend together—humanity once again receives nature's gift!

Since the reform and opening-up, instant noodles, as a "national food," have accompanied the growth memories of several generations and the long journeys of hundreds of millions during the annual Spring Festival travel rush.

Smelling the aroma of instant noodles at the station feels like smelling the scent of home.

△ January 12, 2009: At Shanghai Railway Station square, an elderly traveler feeds instant noodles to his grandson.

△ January 2011: A traveler squats on the ground eating a bowl of instant noodles.

△ January 11, 2012: At Changsha Railway Station, two travelers happily eat instant noodles.

As early as the green train era, instant noodles had already become a major "artifact" of the Spring Festival travel rush.

At that time, there was no online ticket booking service. To buy tickets, people had to queue for long hours outside stations or ticket agencies, sometimes even staying up all night.

In the winter wind, steaming bowls of instant noodles brought warmth and fragrance to the hungry queue, easing some of the cold and anxiety.

△ 2004: At Shanghai Railway Station, a traveler waits in the station square to buy a ticket home, eating dry instant noodles for lunch.

△ January 2005: At Hangzhou Railway Station, a traveler eats instant noodles in front of the migrant worker ticket window.

△ Night of January 25, 2005: Outside the Shanghai Hongkou Gymnasium train ticket market, queuing travelers eat instant noodles to stave off hunger.

Carrying large and small luggage, people arrive at the station early. Unfortunately, the train is delayed, and they have to wait several more hours.

What to eat? A bowl of instant noodles.

△ January 1, 2005: Hangzhou Railway Station.

△ January 11, 2009: At Lanzhou Railway Station square, a mother and son eat instant noodles in the cold wind.

△ January 18, 2012: At Hangzhou Chengzhan Railway Station, instant noodles sold in shops are already opened for passengers to buy and eat conveniently.

△ May 2014: At Yiwu Railway Station in Zhejiang, two children eat instant noodles in the waiting room. The older one eats happily, while the younger one opens his mouth wide, drooling with craving.

When it's time to board, you push through the crowded sea of people, inch by inch into the carriage, and finally breathe a sigh of relief. In the past, due to slow speeds and many stops, travelers on longer routes often had to stay on the train for ten or even dozens of hours.

What to eat? A bowl of instant noodles.

△ The train speeds along, and a traveler walks steadily through the carriage holding a bowl of instant noodles filled with hot water. Both stations and train carriages provide hot water, giving instant noodles the perfect opportunity to shine.

△ January 2012: A foreigner, like most Chinese travelers, has instant noodles and mineral water for lunch.

△ January 2017: In Xuzhou, Jiangsu, through the train window, a traveler eats instant noodles.

Strangers who didn't know each other, holding the same brand of instant noodles, sit face to face. "Who are you?" "Where are you from?" "Where are you going?" As passengers chat with newfound acquaintances while eating steaming, flavorful instant noodles, the long journey becomes warmer.

△ January 22, 2016: In Hangzhou, Zhejiang, instant noodles carried by passengers are captured through the train window.

Forty years have passed in the blink of an eye. Now, we have entered the high-speed rail era. In the past, it took two to three days from Beijing to Guangzhou; now, the fastest high-speed train takes only 8 hours. Along with increased speed, train punctuality has improved, and with online ticket booking, the Spring Festival travel rush has greatly improved.

While moving toward the high-speed rail era, instant noodles have also undergone multiple upgrades.

1980s–1990s

In that era, "Beijing Instant Noodles" could be given as gifts. Bringing a few large packs home for the New Year was a matter of pride.

Huafeng Sanxian Yimian, 0.5 yuan per pack, was once the "number one" in the instant noodle world. The slogan "Eat Huafeng, smooth roads everywhere" was all the rage. (This reveals my age!)

1990s–2000s

In the 1990s, "Master Kong" braised beef noodles rose to prominence, dominating the instant noodle "world."

Xiaohuanxiong crispy noodles are a nostalgic snack for the post-80s generation. Back then, when taking the train, kids would ask their parents to bring a pack.

2000s–2010s

In recent years, the variety of instant noodle types and flavors has become countless. Old Tan pickled cabbage beef noodles became popular, even surpassing braised beef noodles.

Due to improved living standards and health awareness, new types of instant noodles focusing on nutrition and health have emerged, with low-oil, low-salt instant foods becoming mainstream.

△ February 4, 2015: At Ningbo Railway Station, several travelers eat instant noodles while waiting for the train.

Nowadays, instant noodles are gradually losing their status as the "standard meal" on trains.

In the high-speed rail era, the time passengers spend on trains and the time spent at each stop have gradually shortened, greatly reducing the number of meals.

At the same time, with the upgrade of national consumption and the rise of food delivery platforms, the instant noodle industry has declined significantly. Many passengers can now order takeout on high-speed trains, offering more dining options.

Most importantly, because high-speed rail carriages are sealed, there has been much debate in recent years about whether instant noodles can be eaten on trains to maintain air quality, and no conclusion has been reached yet.

In the long run, if high-speed rail can provide more affordable and better dining services, the "old partners" of trains and instant noodles will eventually part ways. After all, during a journey, food doesn't need to be sumptuous or delicious; as long as it's affordable and palatable, relatively non-nutritious instant noodles won't be the first choice.

△ Catering staff prepare freshly cooked stir-fried dishes and boxed meals for sale on the bullet train.

△ In 2017, the railway department launched an online catering service. Passengers can order designated station meals through the app, and after ordering, service staff deliver the meals to the train.

Perhaps in the near future, instant noodles will gradually disappear like those consumer goods from our childhood memories, but whenever we think of them, we may still feel that familiar "Spring Festival travel flavor."

Just like the slogan of a certain instant noodle brand—"It's that flavor"—the memory of the Spring Festival travel rush.

Article from: CCTV News